Gallery: Lunar New Year kicks off around the world

In this photo taken on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, ahead of the Chinese lunar new year of the Snake, following the Chinese zodiac, an elderly devotee handles genetically modified, auspicious, white snakes at the Temple of White Snakes in Taoyuan county, in north western Taiwan. Director of the temple Lo Chin-shih said the new year of the snake would be a time of steady progress, in contrast to the more turbulent nature of the outgoing year of the dragon. The Chinese new year fall on Feb. 10.